NATIONAL University stole the first set and the rest of Far Eastern University’s fiery form with it.

Building on the momentum of a huge first-set comeback, the Bulldogs turned back the Tamaraws, 26-24, 25-22, 23-25, 25-19, to capture their first UAAP men’s volleyball championship yesterday at Filoil Flying V Arena in San Juan

Peter Torres, the league’s Best Attacker, proved to be just that as he scored an emphatic kill that wrapped up the thriller where the Bulldogs rallied from as many as eight points down in the opening set of the do-or-die Game 3.

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“I’m so happy because everything that we worked hard for was worth it,” said Torres, the Finals Most Valuable Player who finished with 15 points, 13 off attacks.

Jan Berlin Paglinanawan also helped foil the Tamaraws’ bid for back-to-back crowns by leading the Bulldogs with 16 points built on 14 kills and two blocks.

“We’ve been waiting for this for three years and we finally got it,” said NU coach Dante Alinsunurin.

The Tamaraws looked headed to an easy first set win after taking an early 16-8 lead. And they seemed poised for a 1-0 set lead even when the Bulldogs closed in at 24-20.

But the Bulldogs racked up six straight points to snatch the set at 26-24 behind Paglinanawan’s attacks and back-to-back aces by Edwin Tolentino.

The Tamaraws never looked the same from there even as the pumped-up Bulldogs squad took the second frame with Torres and Paglinawan again at the forefront of NU’s offensive.

Rueben Inaudito added 13 points for the Bulldogs and Tolentino finished with 11 points and five digs.

“We just tried to be patient and we trusted each other,” said the 6-foot-3 Torres, a former standout from Leyte National High School in Tacloban.

The volleyball crown capped NU’s strong run this season in the men’s division. The Bulldogs also prevailed in badminton, beach volleyball and tennis.

John Depamaylo paced the Tamaraws with 16 points, while Arvin Avila and Karl Dele Calzada teamed up for 21.

In Game 1, the Bulldogs also rose from two sets down to stun the Tamaraws, 16-25, 18-25, 25-13, 25-17, 15-8, last week. A few days later, the Tamaraws leveled the series at 1-1 following a 25-23, 17-25, 25-20, 25-20, 25-23 Game 2 win. Checkmate chess clinics start April 8

THE 2013 Checkmate summer chess clinics, sponsored by Milo, will go around Metro Manila and provinces next month.

The MM clinics will start on April 8 at 10 venues in Quezon City, five in Manila, two in Caloocan, Parañaque, Las Piñas and Muntinlupa, one in Marikina, Antipolo, Cainta, Pasig, Taytay, Makati, Greenhills, Pasay and Bacoor.